Wednesday, December 22, 2010

More on Support Groups

Post 26

I’ve been a little dismissive of support groups. I do not discourage a PWP (person with Parkinson’s) from seeking out the fellowship of others. My intent was to show my tendency to deny the truth. By making fun of and ridiculing denial, I hope to take away its power.

Facing one’s mortality is a human’s universal dilemma. If one takes fatal disease or accident out of the equation, growing old is inevitable. We know what growing old looks like. In my case, it took a support group to see what growing old with Parkinson’s might look like.

Take one day at a time. Live in the present. Yes, easy to say, a struggle to implement. I am, after all, someone who created an Excel spread sheet listing, on the left, every season from the time I was 50 to my eventual age of 86. (I figure anything over 86 is a happy bonus.) That, my friend, is looking at the long term picture. It fits on one sheet of paper. I can even fill in some future milestones, but mostly the right side of the ledger is blank. I occasionally look at this document to internalize it, to break the code to the meaning of life. Instead, I am always reminded that life is short and beyond prediction.

It’s a good mental exercise for me. I have today and I’ll just have to be fine with that.

About Me

In November 2008, Michael Spokane was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 52. In November 2010, he began writing about his experience with the disease in an effort to help himself and others.
Michael is interested in receiving and responding to your comments and feedback. Please feel free to join in.
Michael lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with his wife. He has two grown children. He had a career in general contracting and finish carpentry and specialized in historic restoration.